ScholarWorks@UMassAmherst
The UMass Amherst Libraries have just migrated ScholarWorks@UMassAmherst to a new open source platform (DSpace). We are currently unable to accept submissions at this time. For submissions that are not doctoral dissertations or masters theses, please continue to use this webform.
Graduate students filing for September 2024 degrees, please use this webform to submit your dissertations and theses. Please email scholarworks@library.umass.edu if you have any questions.
This site is still under construction, please see our ScholarWorks guide for updates.
Recent Submissions
Publication Consistency Among States in Evaluating the Risk of Nonnative Plants(2021)Invasive plants are non-native species that have self-sustaining populations, are spreading into natural areas, and have negative impacts on native ecosystems. An invasive plant that invades one state could quickly spread to surrounding states, so communication and collaboration between multiple states are needed to reduce risk from plant invasions in the U.S. Variations in weed risk assessments (WRAs) used for different states, however, may hinder consistency if WRAs produce different outcomes about which species are invasive. Additionally, it is more effective to prevent a species from becoming widespread than to manage an already-widespread species, so evaluating and regulating invasive species proactively (before they become widespread) would reduce later control costs. Evaluating new, range-shifting invasive species could lead to proactive regulation in light of climate change, but climate change is rarely considered explicitly in existing WRAs. Here, I assessed the consistency of state WRAs to one another as well as whether WRAs can account for range-shifting species proactively. I compared each state’s WRA to the standards laid out by Roy et al. (2018). My analysis determined whether WRAs for 30 states assess similar risk criteria and whether they have the flexibility to potentially incorporate climate change. Species’ spread, impacts, and potential distribution were included in all WRAs whereas species’ native range, introduction pathways, and potential effects in light of climate change were included in less than ten WRAs. Ten out of the 27 states that did not explicitly consider climate change in their WRAs could provide guidance that enables its consideration.Publication Transit Oriented Development Plan for Palmer, MA(2023-04-01)The purpose of this project is to create a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) plan for Palmer, Massachusetts based on scholarly and professional literature, site visits and a review of case-studies. It begins with a definition of TOD, describes the best TOD practices, analysis of obstacles related to TOD and measures of success. It then moves to a description of the possible TOD site in Palmer and creates an implementation strategy for the town. Palmer was included in the MassDOT East-West Passenger Rail study, that investigated putting a commuter rail stop in the town as part of the extension of the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) Framingham/Worcester Line, connecting Palmer to Worcester, Boston, Springfield, and New York via rail. Transit Oriented Development has the potential to create the elements that increase the use of transit and capture more of the economic activity generated in the TOD zone.Item Source Data for: Thermal preconditioning of membrane stress to control the shapes of ultrathin crystals.(University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2024)Item Shape equilibria of vesicles with rigid planar inclusions: Data(University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2024-06-18)
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